Folkestone Invicta began 2009 with a goalless draw at home to fellow Kent club Sittingbourne at the Buzzlines Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

It was a fourth successive game without a goal for Neil Cugley’s side, all against in-form sides above them in the Ryman League Division One South table, although the Folkestone team again pressed for that vital breakthrough without being able to find that elusive piece of luck.

There were moments for both sides when they thought that they might have taken the lead.

Sittingbourne striker Tom Bradbrook went through the middle in the 22nd minute and bundled the ball past goalkeeper Jack Delo. But a combination of Delo and a defender kept the ball from crossing the line and referee Lee Venamore pulled play back to award the Brickies a free kick on the edge of the penalty area for a foul on Bradbrook as he burst through to meet a Richard Brady flick.

Invicta themselves later saw the ball edge closer to the Sittingbourne goal line in a goalmouth melee after coming off an upright following a Jimmy Jackson (right) corner on the right, only for referee Venamore to blow for an infringement on goalkeeper Matt Reed.

The corner had been gained when Reed touched over in the 74th minute after a piece of skill and 25-yard strike from Jackson.

Invicta had gone into the game with the same starting line up which had played at Ashford over Christmas, with goalkeeper Delo making his home debut.

Captain James Dryden hooked wide in the second minute and the first corner of the game saw centre half Frankie Chappell head over Jackson’s delivery from the right after five minutes.

Visiting goalkeeper Reed then touched over a spectacular overhead kick from Kieran Byrne after ten minutes when a Darren Smith free kick eventually fell to the Invicta striker inside the penalty area.

It was a positive start from the home side as Byrne whipped in a 13th minute ball from the left and Sittingbourne captain Joe Dowley had to block from Jackson.

The Bradbrook incident saw Sittingbourne threaten midway through the first half and top goalscorer Richard Brady fired over the crossbar when his free kick came back off the wall.

The visitors then had penalty appeals for handball turned down during first half stoppage time when the ball came in from the left hand side towards Bradbrook.

Bradbrook had been booked in the 43rd minute for one run-in too many with the officials and team mate Joe Horlock was also later cautioned in the 63rd minute for re-entering the field of play without the officials’ permission after going off to change his shirt.

The stalemate continued as James Everitt made a saving 64th minute tackle on Hicham Akhazzan when the ball came across from the right hand side.

But Invicta continued to look for a winner as Byrne struck over the crossbar from the edge of the penalty area following a Josh Burchell ball in the 67th minute. And Smith couldn’t quite turn the ball in two minutes later when Byrne shot across goal from the right hand side of the penalty area after another ball in from left back Burchell.

Invicta thought that they might have edged it following the scramble after Jackson’s corner, but the visitors broke and home goalkeeper Jack Delo had to palm away substitute Elie Kayembe’s shot from the left hand side of the penalty area.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Delo, J. Everitt, Burchell, Friend, Chappell, Dickson, M. Everitt, Byrne, Dryden, Smith, Jackson. Unused subs: Neilson, Lindsey, Conyers.

SITTINGBOURNE: Reed, Andrews, Dowley, Bourne, Manners, Reeves, Horlock, Richmond, Bradbrook, Brady, Akhazzan. Unused subs: McCleary, Payne, Marques.

Attendance: 285.